Cooling tower having splash deck supported basin



| T. MART 2,650,082

COOLING TOWER HAVING SPLASH DECK SUPPORTED BASIN Aug. 25, 1953 Filed July 9, 1951' INVENTOR. Lam 7. Mar? moooooooooocoohohnh I O OOOO OOOOOL Patented Aug. 25, 1953 COOLING TOWER HAVING SPLASH DECK SUPPORTED BASIN Leon T. Mart, Mission Township,

Johnson County, Kans., assignor to The Marley Company, Inc., Kansas City, Kans., a corporation of Kansas Application July 9, 1951, Serial No. 235,802

This invention relates broadly to the field of heat exchange apparatus taking the form of a cooling tower conventionally employed to change the temperature of various fiuid mediums.

Cooling towers generally are commonly provided with a splash deck assembly through which water or other liquid is permitted to gravitate from an overhead perforated basin into which the warm liquid is directed. The splash deck assembly is so formed as to break the streams of Water emanating from the overhead basin into relatively small particles or globules. Simultaneously, artificial currents of air are caused to traverse the splash deck assembly transversely or horizontally through the gravitating liquid thereby cooling the latter prior to its collection in a basin or sump beneath the splash deck assembly. V 7

Such assembly is preferably made from wood and constitutes a plurality of stacked layers of slats or strips, the various decks being supported one by the other normally with no positive means of interconnection. In some instances the decks are interlocked to hold the same against lateral displacement. It is preferred however, that the entire assembly be permitted to expand and contract and therefore, to rise and fall according to the dryness of the material forming the decks and the overall assembly. It can be appreciated therefore, that a relatively large space must be maintained between the uppermost deck and the overlying basin to accommodate for such expansion and contraction and this space is undesirable so far as eflicient operation is concerned. While the space is filled by expansion of the assembly when the same is wet, the operation of the cooling tower is not at its highest efficiency prior to the filling of such space and during the time that the assembly is not fully expanded.

It is the most important object of the present invention therefore, to provide in a cooling tower assembly as just above outlined, means to eliminate the aforesaid space at all times, such means including the provision of an overlying basin for receiving the relatively hot liquid, that rests directly upon the splash deck assembly for free floating vertical movement therewith.

Another object hereof is to provide in a cooling tower having a vertically expansible and contracting splash deck assembly, a perforated hot water basin that is supported by resting directly upon the uppermost deck, there being structure forming a part of the framework of the tower for guiding the basin and thereby holding the 2 Claims. (Cl. 261-110) 2 same against lateral displacement during vertical reciprocation. I

Other objects will be made clear or become apparent as the following specification progresses, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a cooling tower having splash deck supported basin made pursuant to the present invention, parts being broken away and in section to reveal details of constructiomrand c ,Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on line II-II of Fig. l looking in the direction of the arrows and on a reduced scale.

The problems that are overcome through use of the present invention having been initially set forth herein, reference may be had to the drawing illustrating a conventional cooling tower broadly designated by the numeral ID that includes a hollow casing 12 within which is disposed a splash deck assembly broadly designated by the numeral [4. The construction of assembly I4 forms no part of the present invention but by way of explanation, the same includes a plurality of decks I6, each of which in turn includes a plurality of spaced-apart, horizontal slats I8 having their transverse axes vertically disposed and notched to receive a plurality of spacedapart slats 20 disposed in crossed-relationship to the slats l8 and having their transverse axes horizontally disposed.

The decks I6 are in stacked relationship and for the most part are provided with no other means of support.

It is preferred that the entire assembly [4 be made from wood and by virtue of this fact, when the same becomes completely saturated with liquid emanating from basin 22, the assembly [4 will expand and the uppermost deck it will accordingly be higher within the casing [2 than when the lumber forming the assembly I4 is in a dry condition.

The relatively shallow basin 22 is provided with a bottom wall 24 having a large number of small perforations 26 formed therein and the hot water to be cooled within the casing I2 is directed into the basin 22 and within an annulus 28 carried by the bottom Wall 24 and serving to accommodate for splashing. Bottom wall 24 is additionally provided with an over-flow pipe 38.

Normally, the basin 22 is fixed rigidly to the casing I2 or to certain of the framework thereof and at the time of manufacture, a space must be left between the lowermost face of the bottom wall 24 and the uppermost deck It. More specifically, such space is provided for between the uppermost deck l6 and a diffusion latticework 32 that is preferably secured directly to the lowermost face of the bottom wall 24. In accordance with the present invention however, the basin 22 is carried by the assembly l4 through the diffusion means 32 resting directly upon the uppermost deck [6. Thus, when the assembly I4 is in a dry condition and contracted to its minimum height, no space will be presented between the uppermost deck l6 and the diffusion means 32. As the wood forming the slats l8 and 20 and other parts of the assembly l4 become saturated with the liquid, gravitating from the basin 22, the entire assembly l4 will obviously expand and rise carrying the basin 22 upwardly therewith. Basin 22 is shown in full lines in Fig. l substantially at the uppermost end of its path of travel and in dotted lines in the position the same will assume when the assembly 14 is relatively dry.

In order to prevent lateral displacement of the basin 22 relative to the assembly l4 and particularly relative to the casing 12, a pair of opposed, depending guides 34 are secured in spaced-apart relationship to the uppermost Wall 36 of the easing I2. Likewise, each of two ends 38 -of the basin 22 are extended as at 40 beyond the depending flanges 34 in the manner illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawing. Guides 34 accordingly limit lateral displacement of the basin 22 in one direction and extensions 40 contacting the guides 34, limit the movement of basin 22 in another direction. Such construction assures immediate dropping of streams of water from perforations 26 to the upper deck I6 immediately after diffusion by the latticework 32. At no time will there be any space between the upper deck l6 and the diffusion means 32 for a substantial drop of the streams of water which tend to drift toward a fan not shown, within ring 42 at one end of the casing l2. Such fan is driven by an electric motor or the like '44, through a continuous belt 46.

Obviously, the tower I0 is provided with a sump underlying the assembly l4 for receiving the liquid from the latter after cooling by the artificial currents of air that are caused to be moved horizontally through the assembly M by the aforesaid fan.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a cooling tower, the combination of a splash deck assembly including a plurality of wood decks arranged in stacked relationship for free expansion and contraction as the assembly becomes saturated with water flowing therethrough and dries during nonuse; a water basin having a perforated bottom; and water diffusion means interposed between said bottom and the assembly, said water basin and the diffusion means resting directly on the assembly for movement therewith during said expansion and contraction of the assembly.

2. In a cooling tower as set forth in claim 1 wherein said diffusion means is secured directly to the said bottom wall of the said bottom of the water basin.

LEON T. MART.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 

